


Unlocked

by noifsandsorbees



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Breakup, Drunkenness, F/M, The X-Files Revival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 19:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4931932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noifsandsorbees/pseuds/noifsandsorbees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She’ll be trapped out on this porch, staring into the pitch-black, silent night, alone, for the rest of her life. That much is clear. “Goddamn it, Mulder," she screams into the universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unlocked

She feels for the lock in the dark, scratching at it as if her fingers will magically turn into keys, and pushes endlessly at the door that won’t budge. She has a key, somewhere, but her pockets are empty and the car fifty feet away looks like half-a-day's trek. Picking locks or kicking open doors had worked for her so many times before, so why wouldn't it budge now?

As if suddenly hit with a brilliant idea, she grabs at her back, ready to pull her gun from its holster, but all she meets are the loops of her dress pants; she remembers she hasn't carried a gun on her in years. Shooting open the door isn’t a possibility and everything is hopeless, she realizes. She’ll be trapped out on this porch, staring into the pitch-black, silent night, alone, for the rest of her life. That much is clear.

"Goddamn it, Mulder," she screams into the universe and lowers herself onto the steps.

Moments later she sees the glow of a light from the living room flickering on and hears footsteps creaking through the house. The door swings open and Mulder pads over to her, sits so his arms brush her shoulder, just a little bit.

"Whats going on, Scully?" He asks, voice half asleep, confused — not ready for another fight with her.

“I couldn’t get the door open," she mumbles into her hands.

"Did you try turning the knob? The door was unlocked.”

He hears her breathing heavily, as if she’s trying to hold herself together and is seconds from failing. He softens, understanding that tonight won’t come with any of the yelling and heartbreak that had become so normal right before she left.

"Not that I’m complaining Scully, but why are you here? And why do you reek of whiskey? Please tell me you didn’t drive. You know better than that."

She's rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands; he can see her mouth trying to create words and failing. He wants to throw his arms around her, pull her to him and tell her to cry until she's ready to talk, but he's so aware of how each small move he makes could send her running.

He can’t remember the last time he saw her this drunk, if ever, and wonders if it means she’s not eating, not sleeping.

"It's Mom," she finally croaks out. "She's in the hospital. Mom's in the hospital and Bill and Charlie are at sea and your goddamn door won't open."

"What happened to her, Scully?"

"She was in a car accident. They kicked me out of the ICU when they were prepping for surgery because apparently being a goddamn medical doctor doesn't qualify you to help save your own mother. They told me to take a walk, call someone."

“Why didn't you call me? I would have come back to the city."

"My phone died and I went to this bar next to the hospital and I couldn’t remember your new number and Mulder, it's bad, it’s so bad. There was blood everywhere. It, it barely even looked like her."

She's openly crying now and all thoughts of getting rejected disappear as he pulls her to his chest and starts running his hands through her hair.

"When does she get out of surgery?" he asks once she's quieted.

"Another few hours. They said even then she won’t wake up for a while."

"C'mon," he says, rising and holding out a hand for her. She takes it and he leads her through the door. Her knees nearly buckle as she’s hit with the smell of home for the first time in weeks. She’s trying to remember why she left and all she can think is that Mulder’s hand fits so perfectly in her own.

He leads her to their room and pulls off her shoes as she sits on the bed. She crawls under the comforter and he follows, pulling her impossibly close. His hands rub her back over the silk of her shirt, as her breath warms his chest through cotton. He’s terrified of how scared she is; he can count on two hands the number of times he’s seen her like this and those moments were nearly all before they left the FBI. 

"Let's get an hour or two of sleep and then we can head back,” he whispers.

Only silence fills the room for long moments, until she turns to look up at him, studying his tired face with its three days of stubble, and kisses him with all the hope she has left.

"Please never lock me out again" she mumbles against his lips and she sounds so very small.

"Never Scully,” he promises and pictures her coming home for good. “Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was in the mood to write last night and got stuck on my other fic, so grabbed a random first line off a prompt site, tweaked it a bit, got Scully drunk and this happened. One day I’ll write something that is fully happy, I promise.


End file.
